Paul Gaffney

Paul Gaffney

Paul Gaffney is a Dublin-based photographer who is currently working for a practice-based PhD at the University of Ulster in Belfast.  Like Hamish Fulton and Richard Long, his work is based on walking.  He likes to create images which are quiet and meditative and evoke the experience of being immersed in nature and to capture the essence of the journey (Global Archive Photography, 2015).  His first, self-published book, We Make the Path by Walking is based on a 3500 km walk through Spain, Portugal and France over a year in 2012 and explores the idea of walking as a form of meditation and personal transformation (Global Archive Photography, 2015).  This approach is something I empathise with as I find walking (and running) a meditative process especially when walking through high mountains.  Gemma Padley (Padley, 2013) in The British Journal of Photography tells us that, although his images are minimalist and feature no people, it is a testimony to his skill that they command attention.  She says that, while providing intimate detail, they still manage to give an overview of the whole scene and make the viewer feel that they are in it themselves.  In an interview by Bowditch and Rochowski for Global Archive Photography Paul Gaffney says that walking is a slow and rhythmical process that allows the mind to slow down and allows us to connect with our surroundings in new ways. He says that we have all had the experience of 'clearing our head' when walking and suggests that in the west it is perhaps the most common form of meditation.  The inspiration for his latest work came from a trip in 2008 to South America and that he has always enjoyed a love of walking.  He also walked the 800 km of the Camino de Santiago de Compostella across Northern Spain and found it one of the most intense experiences of his life.  In the interview he reminds us that many paths may have been walked by millions of people and are well-trodden, whilst others may be rarely used and faint or overgrown.  Neither case makes a path more or less special.  He feels that the most important aspect of walking is that we are all shaping our own path through the experiences that we encounter.  He opted not to give the images captions explaining where they had been taken as that would be a distraction to the viewer; it also added mystery to the pictures.  When presenting the work Gaffney decided to use a small journal size publication as this, he felt, would provide a more intimate experience for the viewer.

On his website we get the opportunity to view the book, We Make the Path by Walking.  It comes in a walnut presentation box inside which is the book and tissue wrapped print of the book cover.  The cover is a removable sleeve and the book itself has a plain grey front and rear.  The images are printed on matte paper and are all taken in quiet subdued lighting.  There are no bright blue skies and puffy white clouds.  Many are taken in woods and often have no horizon.  In those that feature a sky, it is grey and muted.  The whole thing is a beautiful work of art in itself.

Bowditch, T and Rochowski, N. (2016) Paul Gaffney Global Archive Photography Available from: http://globalarchivephotography.com/project/paul-gaffney/  [Accessed 23.2.16]

Gaffney, P. 92016) Paul Gaffney [online] Available from: http://www.paulgaffneyphotography.com/About [Accessed 23.2.16]

Padley, G. (2013) We Make the Path by Walking by Paul Gaffney. British Journal of Photography [online]. Available from: http://www.bjp-online.com/2013/11/we-make-the-path-by-walking-by-paul-gaffney-book-review/ [Accessed 23.2.16]